The operational components of a typical injection molding machine are designed to transform stock material into a batch of molded products. A "batch" is a predetermined number of essentially identical molded products which are manufactured during single or multiple production runs. The operational components of an injection molding machine usually include a stock supply assembly, an extruder assembly, an injection assembly, a press assembly and a mold pallet assembly.
In many industrial settings, it is desirable for a single injection molding machine to produce several different batches of molded products. During a typical multi-batch manufacturing shift, a first batch of molded products is created during a first production run. To begin this first production run, a first mold pallet assembly, which contains a "mold profile" reflecting the desired shape of the first batch of molded products, is installed into the machine and properly coordinated with the other assemblies of the machine.
At the completion of the production run, a second batch of molded products may be created. In a multibatch manufacturing shift, this second batch of molded products will possess properties different from those of the first batch of molded products. Consequently, in a batch-conversion it is necessary to remove the first mold pallet assembly and replace it with a second mold pallet assembly.